Margins are very small – Morne Morkel on the close nature of the Indo-England rivalry
India will take the field for the second T20I against England which is slated to be played in Manchester. The first T20I between the two sides was washed away after rain interrupted play at the end of the first innings. As India gears up for the second T20I of the series, India’s bowling coach, Morne Morkel opened up on the clash between two T20I powerhouses and the potential these two sides possess.
Talking in the pre-match presser ahead of India’s clash against England in Stretford, Morkel said, “Always, against England, it's always a high-scoring game. Margins are very small there in terms of, you know, where you want to land the ball, and the execution at the end of the day needs to be on cue. Here it's very similar. I think, you know, only saving grace is we can always have a little bit of overcast conditions.”
Explaining the conditions and the effect the new ball can have, Morkel added, “In England, we always find that there's something in with the new ball. And I think we cover, you know, a lot of bases in terms of what and who we can put in certain and different roles.”
Highlighting personnel who have impressed with the ball for India, Morkel stated, “We've got, you know, guys who can bowl well with the new ball like Harshit. I think, you know, the way he's come back after a lengthy layoff has been very, very good. You know, Prince has done exceptionally well. And then Arshdeep for his experience.”
He concluded by discussing how taking pace off the ball can be a major factor, explaining, “We're also, you know, thinking of going with the bigger grounds, you know, taking pace a little bit off the ball. I mean, those are all options and discussions we're having, you know, as a group. But I think, you know, today we're going to have the first look at the venue. You know, stats may say one, dictate one aspect of it, but I think at the end of the day, we still need to flip them and see what's going to be the best for us going forward into this match.”
